Outboard motor support



1959 c. H. YHOLSCLAW 2,901,267

OUTBOARD MOTOR SUPPORT Filed Oct. '7, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 inventor.-

' Cha r-/es Ho/sc/am y We 7M ALM-L+ s Attorneys.

Aug. 25, 1959 c. H.HOLSCLAW OUTBOARD MOTOR SUPPORT Filed Oct. '7, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 VIIIIIIIIIII [r7 ve r7 tor: C'ha r/es Ho/sc/aw,

$901,267 OUTBOARD MOTOR SUPPORT Charl es Hlsclaw,: Evansville, Ind. Application October 7, 1955, Serial No. 539,219 I6 Claims. (Cl. Hill- 179)- The: present invention relates to boat trailers and more particularly to a means for supporting an outboard motor secured, during transport, to the boat transom.

. It is a; common practice in=transporting; outboard: motor boats toi allow the-motor to remain clamped: to-the boat transom; This practice is becoming increasingly wide.- spread" because of theincreased horsepower and weight ofpresent-day outboard motors as wellasthe multiplicity ofi control and service connections. The motor is usually upraised' during transport rather than downwardly hanging in order to eliminate the danger of striking an obstruetion. and tostrike a better balance. In order to prevent. the motor from toppling rearwardly due to road shocks, auxiliary stops, for exarnple,.in theform-ofblocks of wood or. the like are usually wedged intothe motor frame, to block the motor against movement. It. has generally been. assumed that: a boat transom of modern design, having sufficient strength. to absorb the stresses imposed when the outboard m-oton is inthe water, should have sufiicientstrength to carry the Weight of the motor during highway transport. This assumption has resulted in substantial damage to both boats and motors.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel arrangement for supporting. an outboard motor directly by; the rear end of the. frame of thetrailer. It is=another object to provide a supporting arrangement of the. above type in which the forces resulting from road shock or the like are transmitted directly to the frame of the: trailer rather than being borne solely by the boat transom. It is, accordingly; an object to provide an improved. motor supporting arrangement which relieves the boat structure, and particularly the transom thereof, of the repeated stresses which aredeveloped; under trans.- pontconditions; and his amore specific object to provide an. arrangement which insures against the build-up of oscillatory forces atthe natural periodofvibration of motor and transom.

It is another. object. to provide a: motor supporting arrangement which is universally applicable to all types and sizes. of boats, motors, and trailers. It. is a. related objectto provide a supportingarrangement for supporting the over-hanging propeller shaft. housing of a motor which has a novel. socket arrangement at itsv upper end capable of positively securing and snugly seating all. of the numerous cross sections. and lengths of commercial propeller shaft housings, and for cushioning. the housing against scratching or other damage even under extremely bumpy road conditions.

It'is'a relat'edobject' to provide a motor support" which not" onlysupports a motor about its tilt axis but which steadies the motor about its turning axis to prevent the same from flopping from side to side during transport.

It is a' further object related to the above to. provide a'* hinge connection between the support member and the frame of the trailer which is not only adjustable but which is frictionally lockable in its adjusted position toinsure' that the socket member does notmove' relatively to the propeller shaft housing'under shock' and vibra United States Patent "ice 2'. tion. of transport and to preventany tendency toward rearward toppling of the support member.

It is a further object of the invention to provide anovel quick-disconnect arrangement between the supporting bracket, which forms a part of the present support, and the rear end of the trailer frame which is so arranged that the membes are locked in place when the}bracket is in its seated position and in which the reaction force maintains. the bracket fully seated at' all times.

In one of. its aspects it is an object of the invention to provide for simultaneous support of two outboard motors arranged on the boat. transom side-by-sideand which is capable of accommodating any lateral spacing of the two motors.

Finally, it is anrobject. to provide a motor supporting arrangement which is adequate to support even the largest; sizes of outboard. motorswhich nevertheless isof light, compact construction. andv which may be inexpensively manufactured and installed. and capable'of use as an attachment on. practically all. designs of existing boat trailers.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon. reading the attached detailed de= soription and upon referring to the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective showing the improved outboard motor support securedto the'rear end of a boat trailer with the boat shown fragmentarily;

Fig. la is a generalside view ona recluced scale of. a boat trailer incorporating the presentiinvention and with a boat and attached outboard motor mounted in place;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken. through the supporting device shown in Fig. 1 and through the centerof the boat transom;

Fig. 2ais a section taken through. the'keel runner-along the line 2a-2a' in Fig. 2;

Fig. 2b is a fragmentary side view showing the insertion of the supporting, bracket into its'locked position;

Fig. 3 is a hinge detail taken along the line 3-3 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section of the hinge taken along the line 44 in Fig. 3;.

Fig. 5 is a detailed elevation of the socket member taken along the line 5--5 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a transverse section of the socket member taken'along the line 6'6 in Fig. 5';

Fig.7 isa fragmentary'view showing amodified bracket mounting;

Fig. 8 is another fragmentary view showing: a bolted attachment between the supporting bracket andv the frame or longitudinal tongue of a. trailer; and

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary perspective showinga modified form of the present invention capableof supporting two motors simultaneously.

While the invention has. been described in connection with certain preferred forms of the invention,. it will be understood thatI do not intend to limit the. invention to suchforms but intend to cover alternative and. equivalent constructions falling within the spirit and scope ofthe appended claims.

Turning now to Figs. 1 and In, there is shown a trailer 10 of conventional construction having a longitudinally extending frame including a tongue or keel runner I'Lsuitably supported on. transport: wheels 12. A: coupling 13 is provided at the forward end of the trailer to connect the same to the bumper or frame of an-automobile. The trailer may, if desired, be constructed in accordance-with the disclosure of my copending application Serial No. 477,353 which was filed on December 23, 1954. As di-sclosed in such application, a boat, here indicated'at 14, is supported on laterally spaced rubber rollers 1 1awith the keel received in a longitudinal groove formed in the top" surface of the keel runner 11. A suitable tie-down arrangement, for example, as indicated at is employed 7 the outboard motor which is simply taken as representative of the outboard motors of the various available types and sizes. The outboard motor includes a frame 21 having a superstructure 22 which includes the driving mechanism and which may include the gasoline tank. The frame 21 is supported on the transom by means of a clamping bracket 23, the frame and bracket being interconnected by a horizontal hinge connection 24. Extending downwardly from the frame 21 is a conventional propeller shaft housing 25 terminating in a gear box 26 which mounts a propeller 27. The motor, as is conventional, may include a built-in stop in the form of a rubber bumper 28 (Fig. 2) to limit forward tilting of the motor frame and thus define the upraised or transport position of the motor.

In accordance with the present invention a vertical support member is provided for engaging and supporting the overhanging propeller shaft housing of the motor directly on the frame of the boat trailer so that any unbalanced forces resulting from road reaction, and tending to topple the motor rearwardly or sidewardly, are resisted directly by the trailer frame rather than being transmitted to the transom of the boat. In the present embodiment, the vertical support member, indicated at 36, is of tubular construction being supported on the rear end of the keel runner 11 by means of a bracket 31 which forms a rigid extension of the keel runner. In order to permit endwise adjustment of the vertical support member 30, as well as the locking and unlocking of the supporting structure, the latter is telescoped Within a sleeve 32, with the two parts being kept in adjusted position by means of a set screw 33 which is operated by a hand knob. The set screw is preferably threaded into a nut or threaded reinforcement secured to the wall of the member 32.

To permit the vertical support member to be properly angled to engage any convenient point along the length of the propeller shaft housing 25, a horizontal hinge connection 35 is provided, the details of which are set forth in Figs. 3 and 4. As there shown, the arrangement is such as to enable the vertical support member to be swung fore and aft relative to the hinge axis while permitting the support member to be frictionally locked in a desired position of angular adjustment. The hinge 35 is made up of a central tubular section 36 which is welded or otherwise secured to the sleeve 32. Such tubular section is spanned by short tubular sections 37, 38 which are welded or otherwise secured to the bracket 31, the bracket being preferably of fiat plate-like construction. Extending through the tubular sections 3638 is a pintle bolt 39 having a nut 49 and a locking wing nut 41, the nut 40 being arranged to squeeze together the two tubular portions 36, 37 when the bolt is tightened.

To unlock the hinge joint, the head of the pintle bolt 39 is unscrewed with a suitable wrench to relieve the axial pressure between the portions of the hinge. After the vertical support member is adjusted to its desired angular position, the head of the pintle bolt 39 is turned with a wrench which tends to tighten the nut 41 the latter, as shown, being keyed with respect to the bracket 31 to prevent relative rotation. Sufficient torque is applied to the wrench so that the hinge joint becomes substantially rigid. Following this, the pintle bolt 39 is prevented from rotating by tightening the wing nut 41 at the end thereof. It is generally unnecessary to disturb the adjustment of the hinge joint as long as the same boat and motor are used and provided that the boat is drawn forwardly to the same reference position on the trailer.

In accordance with one of the more detailed aspects of the invention, a socket construction is provided at the upper end of the vertical support member for engaging the propeller shaft housing and for holding it in snugly centered position regardless of the housing dimensions of the particular motor. For this aspect of the invention, reference is made to Figures 5 and 6. Here the socket member 45 is shown as channel shaped, having spaced side walls 46, 47 and a base 48 which may be buttwelded to the upper end of the member 30. In profile, as shown in Fig. 5, the socket member is cut out to provide a central space 49. symmetrically arranged with respect to the center of the socket member are pivoted pad members or cushions, 51, 52 which are preferably formed of blocks of resilient rubber. The members 51, 52 are eccentrically pivoted by means of pivot pins 53, 54. Thus, seating of the housing 25 between the pad members 51, 52 is accompanied by an inward crowding action so that the housing 25 is tightly engaged in a centered position practically independently of its dimension. However, for the purpose of accommodating the pad members 51, 52 to a wider range of cross section of the received housing 25, additional pairs of holes 55', 56 of unlike spacing are provided.

Because of the deep seated engagement which the socket member 45 provides and because of the hinge locking provision described above, there is very little tendency for the propeller shaft housing to become dislodged from the pads 51, 52. Furthermore, the arrangement is such as to prevent lateral flopping of the motor from side to side about its turning axis which is very injurious to the motor. In practice, the motor is tipped as far forwardly as possible until it bottoms on the stop member 28. The vertical support member is thereupon extended by loosening the set screw 33 until firm seating takes place between the housing 25 and the socket member 45, following which the set screw 33 is retightened. This not only steadies the motor laterally but prevents the motor from rocking fore and aft about the transom, thus any tendency toward downward movement of the overhanging housing 25 is resisted directly by the frame of the boat trailer. If desired, the vertical support member may also be utilized to resist any tendency for the motor to tilt in the opposite or forward direction, this being accomplished by a resilient strap 60 (Fig. 5) which passes over the drive shaft housing 25 and which is secured to the socket member by means of hooks 61, 62, which are received in suitable openings in the base 48 of the socket member. This hold-down strap 60 is preferably constructed of the material known in the aviation industry as shock cord. The rigidity of the hinge connection insures that forces may be transmitted to the boat trailer frame in both of the vertical directions, i.e., both downwardly and upwardly.

For the purpose of enabling the vertical supporting structure including the bracket 31 to be quickly disconnected from the trailer frame a detachable connection is provided indicated generally at 70. This detachable connection includes a hook portion 71 which is integrally formed at the front end of the bracket 31. The fiat forward portion of the bracket 31 is normally seated on a supporting surface 72 in the trailer frame, with the hook 71 caught behind a cross member 73. The surface 72 is conveniently provided within the keel runner 11, and the cross member 73 preferably consists of a bolt spaced lflOIIl the surface 72 and which spans the width of the keel runner as shown in Fig, 2a. To prevent fore and aft movement of the bracket when the same is seated on the supporting surface 72', the bracket includes a locking member 74 in the form of a bar of metal welded in a transverse position on the bracket 31, and so arranged as to abut a locating surface 75 formed by the end of the keel runner 11. In use, as shown in Fig. 2b, the flat body of the bracket 31 is upwardly tilted so that the hook 71 thereon may be inserted under and hooked behind the cross member 73. The bracket is rotated downwardly into its seated position in which it forms a rigid extension of the keel runner. Relative fore and aft movescores"? fnent of the bracket is prevented by the engagement between the locking member 74 and the surface 75 as well as by the hooked engagement between the hook 71 and cross member 73.

It is one of the more detailed features of the quickdisconnect arrangement that it provides secure anchoring even though the cross member is spaced in the keel runner 11 so that the bracket is tilted upwardly when locked behind the member. This modification is illustrated in Fig. 7 where cross member 73a permits the bracket 31 to tilt into locked position. In this arrangement, adequate clearance is provided for disconnecting the bracket by swinging it to a horizontal position and withdrawing it from the keel runner.

Where the boat trailer does not conveniently provide an upwardly facing support surface and cross member, the bracket may, if desired, be bolted directly to the trailer frame. For this purpose, one or more holes 76 (Fig. 8) are provided in the forward portion of the bracket for re ception of suitable bolts 77. Where the supporting surface faces upwardly the bracket may be oriented as shown in Fig. 2 with the hook curving upward. However, where the available mounting surface faces downwardly, it is a simple matter to reverse the position of the members 31, 36 (Fig. 3) so that the hook projects downwardly as shown in Fig. 8. This is accomplished simply by unscrewing and temporarily removing the pintle bolt 39, the latter being reinserted following reversal of the parts. The effectiveness of the vertical support member is the same regardless of the mode of attachment between the bracket 31 and the trailer frame, provided the connection is rigid and capable of resisting the torque exerted by the support member 30.

Mounting the bracket 31 on the trailer frame by bolting permits the present support to be used on virtually any type of boat trailer. It is to be noted, however, that this relatively permanent mode of fastening does not interfere with efficient loading and unloading of the bolt. Because of the provision of hinge 35 the supporting member 30 may simply be swung downwardly against the force of friction at the hinge into an out-of-the-way position. If desired, the support member may be telescoped fully into the sleeve 32 or may be completely withdrawn from the sleeve so that it does not provide any interference whatsoever.

The embodiment of the invention described is suited for supporting a single motor regardless of size or horsepower. The invention is, however, applicable to the support of two motors arranged side-by-side on the same transom. For this modification, reference is made to Fig. 9 in which parts corresponding to the parts previously employed are indicated by the same reference numeral with the addition of subscript a. The bracket 31 is in this embodiment connected rigidly to a tubular cross bar 80 by welding or the like. Telescoped over the respective ends of the cross bar 80 are couplings 81, 82' respectively, which are identical with one another. Taking the coupling 81 by way of example, it includes a tubular member 83 which is rigidly secured to a sleeve member 3211. The members are preferably secured to one another by welding them 'side-by-side as shown. To secure the tubular member 83 in a desired lateral position and to lock the coupling in a given angular orientation, a set screw 84 is provided in the form of a bolt screwed into the reinforced wall of the member 83. The sleeve member 32a receives a vertical support member 30a corresponding to that previously described. It will be ap parent that the couplings 81, 82 may be properly spaced for accommodating any spacing of the two driving motors. Since the forces exerted downwardly by the two motors will, in general, be equal, it will be apparent that balanced forces are applied to the bracket 31a.

The device described aboveenables all torsional forces to be resisted directly by the frame, and transmission of such forces to the boat transom is substantially eliminated. As a result, the transom is loaded simply by a portion of the weight of the motor applied edgewise, a direction in which the transom is capable of carrying the load without strain. The arrangement not only avoids direct damage to the transom but avoids straining the boat structure especially where no special transom support is provided on the trailer. In addition to giving rise to leaks, conventional practice may also produce serious damage to the structure and contour of the boat. When using the present arrangement, the trailer may be drawn over bumpy roads with assurance that the resulting forces cannot damage or weaken either the boat structure or the motor, and there is no possibility that peak forces will be built up due to oscillation. Furthermore, the device just described, in addition to counteracting torsional forces, actually assumes a substantial portion of the motor Weight, and, by moving the support member to a more vertical position than that shown and by forcibly extending and locking the same relative to the member 32, the support member can relieve the boat transom of most of the motor weight.

I claim:

1. In a boat trailer for carrying a boat having an attached outboard motor with a propeller shaft housing and arranged for tilting into horizontal transport position, the combination comprising a longitudinally extending trailer frame, means for supporting the boat against lateral movement on said trailer frame, a vertical support member, a hinge connection between the rear end of said frame and said member providing vertical swinging movement of said member, means at the upper end of said member for receiving the propeller shaft housing of the motor, a connection between said vertical support member and said hinge connection for effecting adjustment of their relative positions so that the support member bears against the propeller shaft housing with the motor in an upraised position, and means associated with the hinge connection for locking the hinge connection.

2. In a boat trailer for carrying a boat having an attached outboard motor with a propeller shaft housing and arranged for tilting into horizontal transport position, the combination comprising a longitudinally extending frame, means for supporting the boat against lateral movement on said frame, a vertical support member at the rear end of said frame and extending angularly rearward and upward therefrom, an adjustable connection interposed between said frame and said support member for providing relative positioning of said support member with respect to said frame so that said member can be extended into contact with the propeller shaft housing of the motor with the latter in its upraised limit position, and means for locking said connection for transmission to the frame of forces resulting from road shock.

3. In a boat trailer for carrying a boat having an attached outboard motor with a propeller shaft housing and arranged for tilting into horizontal transport position, the combination comprising a longitudinally extending frame, a bracket on said frame forming a rigid extension thereof, a support member, a hinge connection between said bracket and said member for vertical swinging movement of the latter and a cushioned socket member at the upper end of said member for receiving the propeller shaft housing of the motor, said support member being longitudinally adjustable with respect to the bracket so that the socket member bears against the propeller shaft housing with the motor in its upraised position, and means associated with the bracket for locking the hinge connection for insuring that torsional force resulting from road shock is transmitted directly to the frame.

- 4. In a boat trailer for carrying a boat having an attached outboard motor with a propeller shaft housing and arranged for tilting into horizontal transport position, the combination comprising a trailer frame, support means extending upwardly at the rear end of the trailer frame, said support means including a laterally extending socket member, a pair of pad members and a pivot for each of said members, said pivots mounting said pad members in symmetrically arranged spaced-apart relation upon said socket member for movement with respect thereto to engage the propeller shaft housing of the motor between them, and said socket member having a set of auxiliary pivot holes alternatively engageable by said pivots for varying the nominal spacing of the latter thereby to accommodate a wide range of cross section of motor shaft housings.

5.- In a boat trailer for carrying a boat having an attached outboard motor with a propeller shaft housing and arranged for tilting into horizontal transport position, the combination comprising a trailer frame, support means extending upwardly at the rear end of the trailer frame,

.said support means including a laterally extending socket member, a pair of pad members eccentrically pivoted upon said socket member and defining a central groove of variable width for receiving the propeller shaft housing of the motor, and means anchored to said socket member and passed over said propeller shaft housing for holding the housing in contact with the pad members.

6. A support member for use with a boat trailer for carrying a boat having an attached outboard motor with a propeller shaft housing and arranged for tilting into horizontal, overhanging transport position and having a longitudinal frame member comprising, in combination, a vertical support member extending upwardly at the rear of the frame member and having means mounted thereon for engaging the horizontal overhanging propeller shaft housing of the motor for holding the same against both vertical and lateral movement, said vertical support member having a forwardly extending bracket at its lower end to lockingly engage the longitudinal frame member, and means providing a quick-disconnect hook connection between the bracket member and the frame member.

7. In a boat trailer for carrying a boat having an attached outboard motor with a propeller shaft housing and arranged for tilting into horizontal, overhanging transport position, the combination comprising a longitudinal frame member, a vertical support member extending upwardly at the rear of the frame member for engaging the horizontal overhanging propeller shaft housing of the motor and for holding the same against lateral and vertical movement, and a coupling for mounting said vertical support member upon the rear end of the frame member and providing for both longitudinal and angular adjustment of said member with respect to said frame member so that the support member is locked in an up wardly and rearwardly extended position, said coupling further having means for quickly disconnecting the vertical support member from the trailer frame member.

8. In a boat trailer for carrying a boat having an attached outboard motor having a propeller shaft housing and arranged for tilting into horizontal, overhanging transport position, the combination comprising a longitudinal frame member providing a horizontal supporting surface at its rear end, and said frame member further providing a horizontal cross member spaced above the supporting surface, a quick-disconnect bracket having a fiat body for resting on said support surface and having an upwardly extending hook at the forward end thereof for hooking under the cross member, and a vertical support member at the rear end of said bracket and extending upwardly therefrom for engaging and supporting the overhanging propeller shaft housing, said vertical support member being adjustably extensible to permit endwise adjustment to a position in which force is downwardly transmitted from the propeller shaft housing to apply a torque upon said bracket in a direction which tends to seat the bracket on said support surface and thereby to prevent disengagement between the cross member and the hook on the forward end of the bracket.

9. In a boat trailer for carrying a boat having an attached outboard motor with a propeller shaft housing and arranged for tilting into horizontal transport position, the combination comprising a longitudinally extending frame, means for laterally supporting the boat on said frame, a vertical support member at the rear end of said frame and extending rearwardly and upwardly therefrom, said vertical support member having a cushioned socket at its upper end for receiving the propeller shaft housing of the motor, said vertical support member having an adjustable telescoping connection with said frame so that the cushioned socket may be forcibly extended into contact with the propeller shaft housing of the motor with the latter in its upraised limit position, and means operatively associated with said connection for locking said support member in a desired extended position for trans mission to the frame of forces resulting from road shock.

10. In a boat trailer for carrying a boat, the combina tion comprising a trailer frame, a rigid support extending upwardly at one end of said trailer frame, and socket means carried by said support including a laterally extending member pivotally mounting a pair of pivoted pad members symmetrically arranged to engage a boat element between them, said member having a set of auxiliary pivot holes alternately engageable by the pivots of said pad members for varying the nominal spacing of the latter thereby to accommodate a wide range of boat element cross-sectional dimensions.

11. In a boat trailer for carrying a boat, the combination comprising a trailer frame, a support rigid with said trailer frame, and a socket carried by said support and including a transversely extending member of channelshaped cross-section with the walls of the channel cut out to define a central space, a pair of pad members nested between the channel walls and on opposite sides of said central space and having boat element engaging surfaces disposed Within said space, said pad members being pivoted in place in said channel with the pivots being eccentrically located with respect to said surfaces of said pad members so that as a boat element is nested between such pad members the members crowd inwardly thereon to grip the boat element and hold the same in a centralized position therebetween.

12. In a boat trailer for carrying a boat, the combination comprising a trailer frame, a support rigid with said trailer frame, and a socket carried by said support and including a transversely extending member of channelshaped cross-section with the walls of the channel cut out to define a central space, a pair of pad members nested between the channel. walls and on opposite sides of said central space and having boat element engaging surfaces disposed within said space, said pad members being pivoted in place in said channel with the pivots being eccentrically located with respect to said surfaces of said pad members so that the members crowd inwardly upon a boat element nested therebetween to hold the same in a centralized position therebetween, said member having a set of auxiliary pivot holes alternatively engageable by the pivots of said pad members for varying the nominal spacing of the latter whereby to accommodate a wide range of cross-sections of boat elements.

13. In a boat trailer for carrying a boat, the combination comprising a trailer frame, a support rigid with said trailer frame, and a socket carried by said support and including mounting means defining a central space, a pair of pad members pivoted in place on said mounting means on opposite sides of and extending into said central space with the pivots eccentrically located in the pad members so that the members crowd inwardly upon a boat element nested therebetween to hold the same in a centralized position therebetween.

14. In a boat trailer for carrying a boat having a trailer frame and a support rigid with said trailer frame, a socket comprising, in combination, a member of channel-shaped cross-section adapted to be fixed to the support transversely of the frame and having the walls of the channel cut out to define a central space, a pair of pad members nested between the channel walls and on opposite sides of said central space and providing boat element engaging surfaces disposed Within said space, said pad members being pivoted in place in said channel with the pivots eccentrically located in the pad members and maintaining said surfaces spaced apart for the reception of the boat element so that as a boat element is nested between such pad members the members crowd inwardly thereon to grip the boat element and hold the same in a centra'lized position with respect thereto.

15. In a boat trailer for carrying a boat having a trailer frame including a longitudinally disposed keel runner, a boat element receiving socket comprising, in combination, a member of channel-shaped cross section adapted to be fixed in laterally extending relation to the keel r-unner and defining a central space longitudinally disposed with respect to the keel runner, a pair of resilient pad members symmetrically arranged on opposite sides of said central space and eccentrically pivoted upon said member and extending into said space for engaging an element of the boat and holding the same firmly engaged in a centered position within said space and with respect to the keel runner.

16. In a boat trailer for carrying a boat having a trailer frame and a support rigid with the frame, a boat element receiving socket comprising, in combination, a

member adapted to be fixed to the support and defining a central space longitudinally disposed with respect to the trailer frame, a pair of resilient pad members eccentrically pivoted on axes symmetrically disposed on 0pposite sides of said space, said members extending into said space for engaging the boat element and holding the same centrally therebetween.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 824,586 Rominger June 26, 1906 893,016 Ritter July 14, 1908 1,166,749 Dougherty Jan. 4, 1916 1,817,755 May Aug. 4, 1931 1,862,826 Mross June 14, 1932 2,087,152 Johnson July 13, 1937 2,522,616 Husek Sept. 19, 1950 2,660,443 Miller Nov. 24, 1953 2,663,474 Kelly Dec. 22, 1953 2,723,038 Peterson Nov. 8, 1955 2,733,823 Evans Feb. 7, 1956 2,798,625 Mame July 9, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 588,464 Great Britain May 22, 1947 1,015,058 France June 25, 1952 

